Prince Lef Nikolayevitch Muishkin is one of the great characters in Russian literature. Is he a saint or just naive, an idealist or, as many in General Yepanchin's society feel, an 'idiot'? Certainly, his return to St. Petersburg after years in a Swiss clinic has a dramatic effect on the beautiful Aglaya, youngest of the Yepanchin daughters and on the charismatic but willful Nastasia Phillipovna. As he paints a vivid picture of Russian society, Dostoyevsky shows how principles conflict with emotions - with tragic results. Download and start listening now!

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Listener Opinions

Zagadka | 2/13/2014

" One of my favorite books. Long read for me and I remember putting it down several times when I read it and thinking, "Uh-oh, it's been too long. I won't remember enough and how will I ever get all those names straight again?" Then I'd tell myself to just get in there and do it and every time I did I got sucked right back in. Riveting to the end, I highly recommend. "

Noemi | 2/7/2014

" Myshkin is the Good encarnation. "

Green Lyons | 1/22/2014

" incredible. the pity and love i felt for these characters and anger and spite and the completeness of the story is really... russian. i just loved it. and the only way it survived was because it was a hardback- i feel like i would have ripped the thing in two by how much i flipped through pages and went back for quotes and lived in it for a month. im going to miss it. i really really am. "

Cathy | 1/1/2014

" Oh, my. I loved this at the beginning, especially because in reading it as an e-book I could bookmark each character as they appeared and make notes of all name variations and who that character was. (Have you ever read a Russian novel????) Then I bogged down. Way down. Finally skimmed through to see how it ended. I have such wonderful memories of reading Crime and Punishment, but either I've changed (likely) or this just isn't as well done (possible.) I dunno. "

Richard Jahelka | 12/29/2013

" Didn't care for it. Too emotional. "

Madeeha | 12/27/2013

" i never got bored during the whole read period "

Kessa Tyler | 12/17/2013

" I loved it !!!!! There isn't much to say, except it made you think hard and the way he wrote the book was drawing the reader into every conversation. He is, by far, one of my favorite authors "

Dana | 12/12/2013

" The Everyman's Library edition translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky is the best. "

Suzie Thomson | 12/3/2013

" Anything by this writer is worth reading. An exercise of the mind. "

Graham | 11/26/2013

" Really not my style, in terms of thematic or writing genre, but it was pretty gripping nonetheless. I though it really petered out in the end, though... The characters held my attention with their interesting traits, and by the end all those traits had faded... "

Rachel Mecham | 11/18/2013

" Sometimes the book drags a bit, but I enjoy the characterization of "The Idiot". Sometimes the characters act in such a maddening way that you want to somehow make them see the foolishness in what they are doing. Also, the ending is very surprising. "

Daniel Lee | 8/30/2013

" Took so long to read/understand this darn Russian book...not that I even come close to understanding it. I would not say that I enjoyed this book, but there were intriguing and deep conversation. I feel as if I need to revisit this novel when I am more "mature". "

Linh | 8/29/2013

" Note: I didn't read the Constance Garnett translation, but the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation. "

Jeffrey Larsen | 8/12/2013

" One of the best books ever written "

Allan | 5/17/2013

" Brilliant! Dostoyevsky does an excellent job of depicting the insane. I swear this book was written about former acquaintances. It truly gave me chills. Incidentally, I tried a couple of translations and the Constance Garnett was heads above the rest. "

Pa | 4/16/2013

" Its very difficult to review on Russian literature classic, but then Dostoyevsky has its own unique way of plotting and then un-plotting it. A must read for Dostoyevsky fans...I personally think it was a bit better than CnP .... Dostoyevsky is a legend in his own legacy. "

Mediterraneanwidow | 2/7/2013

" Occasionally witty but couldn't really get into it. "

Mikey | 1/16/2013

" My first Dostoevsky novel. A little thick at times, but insightful to politics, nationalism and love in the eyes of an 'innocent' idiot. Will definitely delve further into his works. "

Misaki | 6/23/2012

" I'm not sure if it's just me, but I have the hardest time keeping tabs on all the Russian character names. I had the same problem with Anna Karenina and Count of Monte Cristo.... But I do like the feel of it. "

Stefania | 5/11/2012

" This is one of my favorite books "

Debi | 10/23/2011

" Absolutely painful to read. Maybe it's just Russian literature...or it's me. Maybe it's called the idiot because you swear under your breathe "what a bunch of idiots!"... "

John | 5/23/2011

" So far Dostoyevsky has proved to be one of the most preelant author in my search for a brilliant read. The story in this book has engrossed me almost thouroghly and I havn't been able to stop reading.....
"

Royk | 5/3/2011

" Entertaining book, don't know what's going to happen next.
"

Janet | 4/17/2011

" Listened to the first three CDs of this book and just completely lost interest!
"

Travis | 4/16/2011

" Amazing. The ending is horrific.
"

Misaki | 4/15/2011

" I'm not sure if it's just me, but I have the hardest time keeping tabs on all the Russian character names. I had the same problem with Anna Karenina and Count of Monte Cristo.... But I do like the feel of it.
"

Homi | 4/7/2011

" I do not possess a way with words that would allow me to aptly describe the richness of this book and the skill of the author, so I will not try.
"

Daniel | 4/5/2011

" I really enjoyed this book. There were sections that were very moving. Despite this I am not sure I understood the book as a whole.
"

A | 3/20/2011

" Very interesting, though slightly disjointed.
"

Cassandra | 3/15/2011

" Why am I always surprised at his endings! Gosh I am incredibly gullible. I always fall for the characters and find myself shocked that it must all end this way, but it's so perfect! Dang it!~
"

Andrew | 3/10/2011

" Wow, this book is light years ahead of most fiction. The character development, intriguing plot, and ideas on society are some of the best I've read. This book made me sincerely interested in the subject of History, since it is all set in 19th century Russia.
"

Daria | 3/9/2011

" If you want to understand something about Russia and Russian soul, you should read this book...
"

Other Titles by Fyodor Dostoyevsky:

About the Narrator

Michael Sheen, an Earphones Award-winning narrator, has been seen widely on stage and screen. His major theatrical roles include Henry V, Peer Gynt, Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger as well as appearances in Pinter’s Moonlight and The Homecoming. Among his film work is Wilde, Mary Reilly, and Othello. Since leaving RADA, he has recorded numerous audiobooks, including Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and The Idiot, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Great Poems of the Romantic Age, and Oedipus the King. He has also directed and read the part of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet for Naxos AudioBooks.

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